Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts is bringing The Rocky Horror Show to its Lagniappe Theater in Kenner from October 23 through October 31. The run uses general-admission seating and includes two 11 p.m. performances. The production comes just months after the death of original Dr. Frank-N-Furter actor Tim Curry, as the franchise draws 50th-anniversary tributes.
The theater's address and setting
The City of Kenner lists Rivertown Theaters at 325 Minor Street, not the 401 Minor Street address previously given, and describes Rivertown as a Mississippi River-side historic district that includes the planetarium, space science complex, theaters and LaSalle's Landing. The city page confirms the address and district setting but does not give a Lagniappe seating, layout or accessibility comparison with Rivertown's main theater, according to the City of Kenner.
Director Bryce Slocumb is staging the original musical version of the show for Rivertown, and as reported by NOLA.com, he noted the 1975 film has played in a U.S. theater every single week for roughly 51 or 52 years running. Slocumb told the outlet he wants the Kenner staging to blend that decades-long movie-theater nostalgia with the show's original rock-musical roots. The production is set for Rivertown's Lagniappe Theater, with general-admission seating, according to Rivertown Theaters.
A Story Born From B-Movies
The story follows Brad and Janet, whose car trouble sends them to the mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, where he is creating Rocky, a beautiful being just waking up to the world. The musical draws on B-grade horror films and includes “Time Warp,” with its signature dance, as well as “Sweet Transvestite” and “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me,” according to the NOLA.com report.
The stage musical predates the film: Richard O'Brien's production opened June 19, 1973, in a 63-seat studio at London's Royal Court Theatre, then moved among London venues before its Broadway debut, according to The Guardian.
Prop Bags, Aisle Action and a Married Cast
Audiences traditionally attend Rocky Horror in costume, and Rivertown is selling prop bags stuffed with confetti, rubber gloves, newspapers and other items for this run — though water guns are notably excluded from the mix, the article notes. Slocumb is designing the production to be immersive, with action spilling into the aisles and around the theater rather than staying confined to the stage.
Leading the cast as Frank-N-Furter is Destin Bass, who played Agatha Trunchbull in Rivertown's May 2022 production of Matilda, according to Theatre Criticism. Playing Janet and Brad, respectively, are real-life married couple Victoria and Austin Ventura; Victoria starred as Elle Woods in Rivertown's summer 2026 production of Legally Blonde, a box-office hit that co-starred Slocumb himself as Emmett Forrest, per a separate Theatre Criticism review. Clark Long rounds out the principal cast as Rocky.
A Director Steeped in the Material
Slocumb has a deep history with Rivertown beyond this show, having recently directed Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella there and co-directed Hairspray while also playing Corny Collins in that production. He previously directed The Rocky Horror Show for the Jefferson Performing Arts Society, giving him prior experience steering the same cult material before bringing it to Kenner, NOLA.com reported.
Rivertown Theaters itself traces back to 2009, when New Orleans theater artists Gary Rucker and Kelly Fouchi founded it as Theatre 13 before the company eventually took over management of Kenner's municipal theater facility, according to Visit Jefferson Parish. The venue now sits within Rivertown, a 12-block historic district along the Mississippi River recognized as the earliest European settlement site in the metro New Orleans area, home to municipal cultural assets including a planetarium, science complex and theater buildings, per the City of Kenner.
A Season of Rocky Horror Tributes
Tim Curry, who originated the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in both the 1973 London stage production and the 1975 film, died in August 2026 at age 80. Curry had suffered a major stroke in 2012 but continued voice acting and making public appearances until late 2025, according to IGN.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is set to screen in a 4K restoration with a live shadowcast at the Mahalia Jackson Theater on October 29, with original film star Barry Bostwick — who played Brad in the 1975 movie — appearing for a post-screening Q&A, NOLA.com reported. Tickets for that screening cost $44.51. Hoodline has also tracked the national touring side of the anniversary events, including a 50th-anniversary tour stop featuring original cast members and Bostwick's related West Coast appearance.
Greater New Orleans' appetite for Rocky Horror isn't new. Uptown's Prytania Theatre has run a monthly tradition of screening the film with a live shadow cast since before Hurricane Katrina, selling as many as 1,500 prop kits during its busiest October events, Hoodline has reported. That year-round devotion helps explain why a general-admission staging in Kenner's Lagniappe Theater is drawing attention well beyond the immediate neighborhood.
